St. Louis Zoo announces birth of Roxie, a female zebra foal

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The St. Louis Zoo announced Friday a female Grevy's Zebra foal was born last month and has joined it's ranks.

The female zebra foal, named Roxie, was born on April 16, marking the first animal ever born at WildCare Park, the Zoo's safari park under development in north St. Louis County. It is set to open to the public in 2027.

"This is both a joyful and historic moment for WildCare Park," said Sabarras George, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park Director. "We are thrilled to reach this milestone on the path to building a world-class safari park and conservation center here in St. Louis County."

The zoo says Roxie is doing well and bonding with her mother, Gemma, and another female zebra, Laila, in the Kent Family Conservation and Animal Science Center.

Gemma was already pregnant with Roxie when she moved from the Zoo to WildCare Park in September 2023, where she continued her 13-month gestation.

Roxie's father Priestl lives with the zebra herd in the Red Rocks area at the Zoo. Male zebras are not involved in rearing offspring.

Grevy's zebras are the most endangered species of zebra in the world. Around 2,500 Grevy’s zebras only remain in the wild, according to current estimates, with 90% of them being found in Kenya and the rest in Ethiopia.